


It Takes Courage to Take a Step Forward

by Narkito



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 7x13, Friendship, Gen, Love, Missing Scene, Pre-Slash If You Squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 12:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9323534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narkito/pseuds/Narkito
Summary: Missing Scene in 7x13. Steve and Danny share a moment on their way to HQ after checking out the collapsed building. (Or an effort to explain the lack of continuity in this show).





	

“Hey, Danny,” Steve says after a while driving towards HQ.

Danny had been curious by the lack of aimless conversation, but at the same time, a bit glad for the reprieve. Calming Charlie down after the explosion and watching live footage on TV (rookie mistake all around), had taken _ages;_ Charlie was full of questions and a persistent worried little frown. It took rewatching the new Jungle Book movie just to calm him down enough for bed. In the end Danny had called it quits and just slept with him, letting him use his arm as a pillow.

Steve continues, oblivious to Danny’s thoughts. “I gotta say I’m kind of surprised.”

“Yeah?” he answers, still relaxed against the window, not even bothering to look at Steve. Danny continues, “Did you finally pick up a driver’s manual? Did you find the definition of a speed limit?”

“Ha! Not funny.” Steve gives him a side glare, not much heat behind it. “No, I was expecting you to get all antsy and whine like a baby when we got to the crime scene.”

Oh, Danny can see where this is going, he perks up a bit and decides to take him through the scenic route of this conversation, hoping they’ll end up on a detour.

“Yeah, babe, but I don’t like these slacks that much; it’s fine if they get all dusty.” Steve frowns, eyes still firmly ahead, mindful of the traffic. Danny clearly didn’t put enough jester into his words.

“Well, no, not what I meant, but—but,” Steve raises his index finger, to make sure Danny doesn’t start arguing before he can say his part. “I’m glad you said that, because now I can quote you when people ask me if you’re _a)_ a drama queen, and _b)_ a fashion slave.”

Danny can’t suppress his snort of amusement, nor the way his hands fly up in protest.  “Get outta here! I know you own a mirror, I know you check twice before you leave the house, those shirts don’t buy themselves!”

Steve gets that goofy smile that lights up his eyes; satisfied, like he thinks he’s won something.  “I don’t hear you denying the drama queen part.”

“Ah, no,” Danny denies, “I’m not dignifying that with a response; there’s a difference.”

The car in front of them cuts off a motorcycle and Steve avoids hitting the bike driver by a hairsbreadth. He continues like nothing happened, pleased with himself. “Yeah? I hear silence it’s also a form of agreement.”

“ _I wish!_ I’ve lost count of the times you’ve stayed quiet on different matters, silently judging from the sidelines, not uttering a word, a thousand-yard stare. Yeah, _silence lends assent_. Pfft! Give me a break.”

“You _done_?” Steve presses on, turning to look at Danny in the eye. Danny swipes a hand in front of him, eyebrows raised and amused. “Thank you. Leaving the silence argument aside—“

“As if—“

“Like I was _saying_ — unless you actually have something you would like to add first?” Danny mimics putting on a lock on the corner of his mouth. “Fine, like I was saying like a year ago, when this conversation first started—“

“HEY! That’s mine! _I said that_!”

“ _DANNY!_ ”  Steve sounds exasperated to Danny’s ears. _Serves him right_ , Danny thinks.

“You come up with your own lines, you stealing bastard,” Danny mumbles under his breath, but still loud enough for Steve to hear.

“ _Oh my god!_ I’ve been trying to ask you for an eternity,” Steve grips the wheel harder, “what happened back there?! Last time we were underground you were a jabbering mess, and I know you’re _severely_ claustrophobic, so what gives? I thought you were going to balk at the idea, okay?”

“Your question being?”  He presses on, obnoxiously. Fully aware they’ve just arrived and Steve’s already parking the car.

“What changed?” Steve asks, turning off the ignition and spinning towards Danny with a questioning eye.

“God, you gonna be insufferable after this, I just know it,” Danny sighs.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t…” Steve trails off, his features going soft.

“No, no, no, don’t do that, don’t give me that face; it’s fine, babe.” Danny takes a fortifying breath. “Remember when we were at Tripler and we had to see a shrink because of the… yeah, you know, of course you remember,” he’s babbling now, and he knows it. “Well, after we were assigned our therapists, I said his name to you and you scowled, like actual face of disgust and then rattled off the name of two other people that were light-years better than this guy,” he cards his fingers through the side of his head, careful not to mess it up too much. “Long story short, I’ve been seeing a shrink for a while now; two actually: a psychiatrist that gives me happy pills and a therapist that helps me handle the other stuff. Okay? _There_. Satisfied?”

Steve smiles fondly at him, relaxing from the shoulders down, slumping against the seat.

“I... Danny, I’m…”

“You don’t have to say anything, Steve,” Danny soothes, “it’s fine.”

“No, no, I want to,” he pleads. “I think it’s great, man. I’m glad it’s working for you.”

“Sure.” Danny shrugs, felling rather self-conscious.

“I mean it,” Steve says, leaning into Danny and placing a hand on his knee. “I know you’ve done the talking thing before, but it still takes courage to go at it again. I’m proud of you, buddy.”

Danny doesn’t know what to say to that. He scrubs his hands down his thighs and his hand brushes against Steve’s. When he looks up Steve’s still giving him a tender look.

“Come here,” Steve croaks and envelops him in a tight hug that fills him from inside out until he thinks he’s going to burst at the seams. He’s not surprised to find himself smiling as Steve squeezes his neck, drawing him a fraction of an inch closer. He didn’t even know he needed that. Maybe Steve needed it just as much.

The moment is broken when somebody raps on the windshield. It’s Lou.

“You lovebirds done? Or should we start the briefing without you two?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, turning on his heel back to HQ.

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, babe.”

“No problem, buddy. Wanna go in now?” Steve opens the door, stepping outside without looking back.

“Do we have to?” He says for the sake of form. Of course they have to.

“ _Danny_ ,” Steve snaps, already back to _impatient GI Joe commander_.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Danny mock-grumbles, hiding his smile as he closes the door.  

 

**Author's Note:**

> Ilmare_Ilse pointed out the lack of continuity when it came to Danny's claustrophobia, so I said, I'll write a coda about it and then here we are. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
